Many people engage in the sport of ice fishing. The principal difference between ice fishing and traditional fishing is that the fishing takes place upon an ice covered body of water, rather than a non ice covered body of water. The ice fisherman locates a spot where he desires to fish. There he cuts a hole into the ice with an augur or spud. He then places bait or a lure onto the end of the fishing line attached to his fishing rod. Next he drops the fishing line into the water while holding the fishing rod by hand. Typically, the fisherman sits on a bucket while ice fishing.
An ice fishing rod is significantly shorter than other types of fishing rods.
Most ice fisherman use one of two methods to fish. They either hold the ice fishing rod by hand while optionally jigging the rod, or, they lay the rod on the ice until a fish bites. When the rod is not being held by hand it can be placed into and secured by a rod holder. Typically, the rod holder is placed upon the ice or attached to a bucket sitting on the ice.
The object of ice fishing is to catch fish. When a fish bites, the hook needs to be set. The hook is set by grabbing the rod and making a quick upward movement of the front rod tip. If the rod is on the ice or within an ice-based rod holder, the rod must first be retrieved from that location. After the hook is set, the fish is retrieved and removed from the hook. This can be a difficult process because two hands are required to remove the fish, leaving no hands to manipulate the rod.
After the fish is removed from the hook, the hook must be re-baited. Two hands are required to manipulate the bait and the hook. This process is made difficult by the fact that the fisherman has no hands available to hold the fishing rod while placing the bait on the hook.
If the fishing rod could be secured to the lower thigh of the fisherman while he is fishing or baiting the hook, much would be gained in terms of convenience and speed. The fatigue caused by constantly holding the rod while fishing would be eliminated. Some people have difficulty bending down to pick up a fishing rod laying on the ice or within a rod holder. This difficulty is eliminated by securing the fishing rod to the lower thigh of the fisherman.
Most fishermen desire quick access to their fishing rod. They want to quickly set the hook when a fish bites. They also want quick access to the rod for changing bait or lures.
It is desirable for the fisherman to be able to use both hands when baiting the hook or changing the lure. This is difficult to accomplish when his hands must be used to hold or manipulate the fishing rod at the same time.
It is desirable to get the fishing line and hook back in the water as fast as possible after a fish is caught. This is because the fisherman may have only a small window of time to catch numerous fish while a school of fish is passing by. The time that the hook is out of the water is minimized when the fishing rod is secured to the lower thigh of the fisherman.
If the fishing rod is secured near the fisherman, the fisherman will be able to keep his hands warm by putting them into his pockets. Also, a fishing rod secured to the lower thigh of the fisherman allows the fisherman to jig with his leg instead of his hands.
There is a need for a hands-free ice fishing rod holder which can be secured to the lower thigh of the fisherman. There is also a need for a hands-free ice fishing rod holder which can be secured to the lower thigh of the fisherman which, in addition to holding the fishing rod, holds a container for bait, tackle and lures. Additionally, there is a need for a hands-free ice fishing rod holder which can be secured to the lower thigh of the fisherman and which can be positioned at various positions on the leg of the fisherman. This will allow the fishermen to move his body without disturbing the alignment between his fishing line and the hole in the ice.
The present invention is directed to a device for holding an ice fishing rod which satisfies these needs. The device is comprised of a rod holder, a base and a strap. The rod holder is shaped to hold an ice fishing rod. Ice fishing rods have a handle at one end. The rod holder is shaped to hold the ice fishing rod, at the handle of the ice fishing rod, in a substantially horizontal position. Thus, if an ice fisherman is in a seated position with the rod holder and an ice fishing rod inserted into the rod holder, laying on top of his or her lower thigh, the rod holder and the ice fishing rod will project out from the fisherman""s knee horizontally.
The base is shaped to fit the anterior lower thigh of the fisherman. The base is attached to the rod holder such that the base and the rod holder are substantially coplanar. A strap of sufficient length to fit around the lower thigh of the fisherman is attached to the base. Preferably, the strap has a buckle at each end for securing the strap to the lower thigh of the fisherman.
Preferably, the base is a container with a hinged lid, the container having a plurality of compartments to hold fishing bait and fishing lures. This will allow the fisherman to store bait and lures within the container.
The preferred version of the rod holder is comprised of two siderails, a front support member and a rod alignment member. The siderails are aligned to be substantially parallel to each other. The front support member is shaped to receive an ice fishing rod handle. The front support member is attached to one end of each siderail. The other end of each siderail has an ear formed onto it. The ears are shaped to allow each siderail to be attached to a bracket. The rod alignment member is shaped to secure the ice fishing rod handle near the distal end of the handle. The rod alignment member is attached to the siderails such that the siderails, the front support member and the rod alignment member will securely hold an ice fishing rod, at the handle of the fishing rod, in a substantially horizontal position.
In the preferred version of this invention a rear bracket is attached to one end of the bottom side of the container. The rear bracket is adapted to receive the ears of the siderails. The ears of the siderails are inserted into the rear bracket. A front bracket is attached to the other end of the bottom of the container. The front bracket secures the rod holder to the container and aligns the rod holder and the bottom of the container in a substantially coplanar configuration. The rear bracket, front bracket and container may be one integral piece. Such an integral piece may be manufactured by using plastic injection molding to construct a one-piece container, rear bracket and front bracket.